


Snowflakes

by DarthUmbreon (SperoDeoVolente)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Ice Skating, Romance, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 16:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8924341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SperoDeoVolente/pseuds/DarthUmbreon
Summary: Aleksandra is tasked with being the secret santa to Mei-Ling. To her, such an idea of getting to know someone just to give away a gift is meaningless! However, an order is an order, so she goes about learning more her comrade. She wasn't expecting to fall in love!





	

Aleksandra Zaryanova has a mission to complete. It’s not her first mission since joining the newly formed Overwatch, but it’s still a huge point of pride to work with these amazing people, some of them walking legends! Nonetheless, there are other things she’d rather do then work on this silly project Winston implemented two weeks ago. A tiny piece of paper crumples in her fist as she thinks about the mission details. 

Due to conflict among the members there have been several team bonding activities. Now that Christmas is approaching the current team building activity is Secret Santa. Originally she’d refused, seeing it as a waste of time and money. However, Winston made it an official mission, giving her no choice in the matter. Such a trivial mission seems like a waste of time! Yet, it’s an official one, assigned by Winston himself. That monkey scientist explained the importance to her, but even though he is in command, it was her mother’s words that drove her to actually complete it. Ter mother would often tell Aleksandra bedtime stories of when the original Overwatch Strike Force saved her hometown. Winston was on the team that saved her village. Her mother owes Overwatch her life, and by extension Aleksandra does as well. Such a debt is not easily repaid.

That’s why she is now walking towards the climate labs at this particular Watchpoint. The name of the tiny slip of paper is Mei-Ling Zhou, who recently returned to Overwatch. For the mission to be a success, her surprise gift has to please Mei-Ling. That means wasting the time with a soft scientist instead of actually working in the field to save people. A cheerful glowing sign announces her arrival at the climate labs. Quickly shoving the piece of paper into her a pocket, Aleksandra knocks on the door. It opens immediately with a loud whoosh, a flushed Mei-Ling at the entrance. Instead of her usual heavy winter clothing, Mei is wearing a set of blue medical scrubs covered by a lab coat. Some small floating companion, a model of omnic she’s never seen before, floats just a few feet above Mei-Ling’s shoulder. 

“Oh! Oh! You’re here to help me move equipment, right?” Mei-Ling asks, voice hopeful. Aleksandra notes the flushed cheeks, and slight panting. Not very strong, this scientist, but she certainly is pleasant. And cute. That thought gets shoved deep inside.

“Ah...yes. I can help you move things. Where do you need me?” Aleksandra feels relief at the question. It would prove beneficial to her, and Overwatch if she also moves equipment. Now it’s not merely a waste of time, asking pointless questions for the sake of a meaningless gift exchange.

“This way… I already moved most the smaller boxes. It’s just the really large ones are awkward to handle… and fragile. It’s such a waste of time if sometime breaks! Sorry to bother you!” Mei-Ling smiles, brown eyes flashing gratitude as Aleksandra finds herself motioned inside.

Everything is spotless inside the labs. There are several large crates already in one corner. However, those aren’t what Mei-Ling is leading her towards. No, those crates must have already been moved to their destination. These boxes themselves are heavy, Aleksandra knows for a fact. Those are Siberian industrial moving crates, reinforced to protect against the sudden extreme storms of winter. Easily they weigh over 30kg alone, not including the contents. Her opinion of Mei-Ling’s strength shifts towards grudging respect. This “soft scientist” already moved heavy equipment before asking for assistance. She could have easily had someone move all of it for her. 

“What are these for?” Aleksandra’s natural curiosity takes over as she starts stretching to warm up. The larger boxes will be heavy, it would be foolish to lift without warming up first.

“They’re drones used for collecting weather data in the uppermost clouds. I need to reprogram them to handle the latest extreme wind readings off of Omsk.” Mei-Ling is keeping busy by organizing the contents of the boxes that have already been moved, her eyes occasional sliding over to watch Aleksandra warm up.

“I have been to Omsk. I competed there once. It is worrisome if they are having more trouble with the weather.” Aleksandra knew that Overwatch had a scientist actively working on reversing the extreme weather, but she’d never bothered to talk to them, or even find out who it was. She had more important things to do.

“O-oh! You’re Aleksandra Zaryanova! You’re famous. I’ve seen vids of your matches.” Mei-Ling’s pronunciation of her name is fairly good, but not correct. The vowels are said all wrong.

“Call me Zarya. It is easier for you to say.” With that said, Aleksandra picks up the first box and starts to carry it over to the smaller ones.

“Aleksandra is a really pretty name! What name do you want to be called? It’d be rude if I called you a name you didn’t like just because I have trouble saying it.” Mei-Ling smiles, but her eyes are filled with determination, not happiness. Aleksandra knows that look very well. Mei-Ling has been presented with a challenge, and she’s asking Aleksandra for permission to tackle this challenge. Her respect for Mei-Ling grows.

“Call me what you wish. I answer best to Aleksandra.” The next box is heavier than the first, and she grunts a bit with effort from the initial lift. No wonder Mei-Ling asked for help! This box easily weighs 200kg.

“Aleksandra. Alek-san-drah.” Mei-Ling tries saying her name, each time coming a bit closer to the correct pronunciation.

“What name should I address you by?” Aleksandra slowly places the box down at the end of the chamber, next to the first one she moved.

“O-oh. Mei, or Mei-Ling is fine by me. I don’t want to be a bother.” Aleksandra wonders why Mei-Ling is so unassuming and deferential, but so driven to help others. An interesting puzzle of a person!

The next few moments go by in comfortable silence. Mei-Ling doesn’t get in Aleksandra’s way; once the largest boxes are in place, she dives into reprogramming the drones. It’s nice to have someone who doesn’t stand and gawk for once. Even in Overwatch, full of heroes, Aleksandra sometimes feels the stares. Quiet comments are made about her height, or her strength. All of the comments are positive, but rarely to her face. Although she is used to it by now, she doesn’t enjoy the awe. What she wants is to be treated as an equal, so they can destroy the omnic threat as a team!

A loud buzz announces someone at the door, which opens without any prompting from Mei-Ling. Too busy with her project, she is completely oblivious to the newcomer. A small robot hovers at her a side, trying to get her to stop working.

“‘Scuse me? Miss Mei-Ling?” Jesse McCree asks from the doorway, his hat in one hand.

“Aaaa!” Mei-Ling jumps in shock, a rather impressive height for such a tiny woman. Aleksandra isn’t certain if she should be annoyed at the intrusion for scaring Mei-Ling, or impressed by how high she can jump. When Mei-Ling lands on her feet, she pivots on her heel, decking McCree in the face with a powerful uppercut. He topples backward, sitting down hard, blood spurting from his nose. I am impressed.

“Sorry! Sorry! I’m so sorry Jesse!” Mei-Ling babbles once she realizes who she struck. Aleksandra is struggling to keep a laugh in check.

“It’s okay,” Jesse says, voice muffled and congested from the hand he instinctively covered his nose with. “Ah was just told that you’d needed help liftin’ somethin’. Sorry it took me so long.” He graciously took Mei-Ling’s helping hand, and almost finds himself flung across the room when she yanks up him hard. Aleksandra does chuckle a little at that.

“...” Mei-Ling freezes in place face as red as a beet, but not before tossing a panicked look at Aleksandra, who shrugs in reply.

“Thank you for the assistance McCree. I was nearby, and offered to help. You are free to go.” Aleksandra nods in farewell as McCree dusts off his behind with one hand, the other hand placing his trademark hat on his head.

“Ah’ll be seein’ y’all around. Take care now!” Jesse McCree gives a polite nod of his head to Mei-Ling who is still frozen in place, face growing even redder.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Mei-Ling turns those brown eyes at Aleksandra, face flush with unhappiness.

“Why are you distressed? You needed my assistance, I gave it freely.” Aleksandra wants to remove the distress from Mei-Ling’s face. How can such a cute scientist be so upset over such a simple thing?

“I wrongly assumed your intentions. What if you had important things to do? I just ordered you around without thinking of what you wanted to do!” Mei-Ling flushed look is going down, but her hands wring together, forming tight balls.

“You are fine. I was curious about your research. Mother Russia deals with such weather anomalies too often. It is good to know that such a dedicated person is looking for answers.” Aleksandra does her best to avoid lying. Her mother often would wash her mouth out with soap for being caught telling a fib. So, she gives half of the truth to Mei-Ling.

“Oh! If you’re certain I didn’t ruin your day.” Mei-Ling’s face is still hesitant; as if she’s dead certain she did destroy Aleksandra’s day by asking for help, despite hearing otherwise. A sudden light comes into her eyes, and she perks up. Hands go from being clasped together, to clapping softly, as she suddenly goes up on her tip toes. “I’ll treat you to lunch as apology. The cafeteria food here is okay at best and mediocre far too often. I know of a nice Chinese place nearby that serves the best dumplings.”

“Very well, I shall accept. Is tomorrow too soon?” Aleksandra is glad for this opportunity. It gives her a chance to talk freely with Mei-Ling, learn more about her. That pesky Secret Santa exchange is just a couple weeks away.

“Tomorrow’s fine! I’ll meet you at the transport bay four at noon!” Mei-Ling’s face turns red again, this time with pleasure.

Aleksandra nods her head, then goes back to the task at hand. There are still a few boxes that need moving. The silence between is comfortable, which pleases her. She prefers to do actual work without the distraction of small talk. Mei-Ling returns to her task of unpacking the smaller boxes, then organizing the contents.

Shortly after Aleksandra finishes moving all the boxes, she bids Mei-Ling farewell. Their parting is short, not a lot of words exchanged between them. In the corner of her eyes, she spots Mei-Ling scolding a small floating robot. Then the doors to the climate labs slide shut, cutting off her vision. This encounter did not go as she expected. Instead of a weak scientist, she found her gift recipient to be a strong, capable woman. Anticipation fills Aleksandra at the thought of getting to know her comrade better. Tomorrow should be an enjoyable day indeed!

Not long after Aleksandra retired to her room for the evening, she called up Athena. Something about Winston’s AI bothers her, it seems too human for her tastes. The old tales of the God Programs talk about how human sounding the AIs were, and Athena seems to be more than just an aide. It’s always best to do things personally, rather than depend on a machine you can’t trust. Sadly, all files on Mei-Ling are held hostage within Athena. If she wants more information, she needs to deal with this AI. Normally she wouldn’t bother, however, Mei-Ling has proven to be far more fascinating than Aleksandra expected. Best to go into her lunch meeting prepared! Mei-Ling is one of the scientists, and all the scientists Aleksandra has ever dealt with always research things. It is a sure bet that Mei-Ling is digging through all the available data on her!

“Athena pull up all files on Mei-Ling Zhou.” Aleksandra sees no reason to tack on a please. Athena is merely a machine, niceties are not needed.

“Very well Zaryanova.” Athena’s voice is the same as it always sounds, but Aleksandra notes the lack of first name. When Athena talks to other members of the team, it addresses them by their first names. It isn’t possible that Athena is upset at her lack of please?

Before Aleksandra can put more thought into this line of thought, the screen in front of her fills up with data. She quickly reads through the basics; place of origin, age, etc. Something quickly stands out, Mei-Ling’s age is much older than she anticipated. Her join date is also off, she could have sworn Mei-Ling was a brand new recruit, not an original member from before! A few taps of her fingers pull up the file associated with Mei-Ling’s join date, Aleksandra had no idea Mei-Ling had been a part of Overwatch over a decade ago! That was before the Fall of Overwatch, something she knows very little about. As she reads through Mei-Ling’s history of her early years in Overwatch, a stone settles in her stomach. She had never heard of the incident at Watchpoint: Antarctica. Her respect for Mei-Ling grows tenfold. One hand closes the files, it seems rude to read about Mei-Ling’s pain.

Even though her comrade faced unimaginable tragedy, she didn’t give up. Mei-Ling continues to fight, and works to save the world from freak storms despite her loss. Aleksandra has seen a lot of people just crumble under such sadness, yet Mei-Ling is still cheerful. A new determination fills her to learn more about her comrade. Such a strong woman is worthy of her utmost respect. Tomorrow she will learn all she can about Mei-Ling so she can give her the best possible gift. Such a strong fighter deserves no less. Mind made up about her plans for tomorrow, Aleksandra sets aside her outfit for the day. Once that is taken care of, she settles down into bed.

Before the dawn’s early light can reach through the blinds, Aleksandra is already awake. Years of waking up early to train help her rise well before any alarm. Her day starts out with a series of warm-ups. Body soon limber, she gets dressed and heads out to start her day. Until she has to meet up with Mei-Ling, her time is her own. She spends it weight lifting in one of the weight rooms. In order to stay strong, Aleksandra spends hours every day keeping her body in top form. That and she finds it easier to think while working out. Her body is trained to do the routine without much conscious thought from her; instead she uses the time to plan her day. Winston gives every member of Overwatch a food budget. Usually Aleksandra eats on base, it’s cheaper that way even if the food served is often bland. She consumes a lot of calories to help maintain her energy levels. She’ll help pay for the meal, Mei-Ling shouldn’t have to to pay for the extra food. It’ll be better for Mei-Ling if all she has to pay for is a single entrée, not everything Aleksandra needs for her calorie intake. Lunch breaks are usually an hour, so after she finishes lunch, she should start shopping. After she’s bought the gift, she can start going out on missions to kill omnics. The protection of her people is paramount!

One of the many vital lessons Aleksandra’s mother taught her is always be on time, better if early. So, Aleksandra is at the appointed meeting place exactly fifteen minutes early. Five minutes before the time Mei-Ling is due to arrival, Aleksandra spots her walking towards the point with a determined walk. A small something is following close behind her comrade, floating about head level. Eyebrows narrow at the sight of the small robot. Aleksandra remembers the thing, a small drone with a high functioning AI, being in the climate lab. She hadn’t thought it would be with Mei-Ling outside of the lab. There are no good omnics, and such smart drones are just a tiny step below omnic. The omniums used such things all the time as spies. Still, Mei-Ling must have a good reason to trust such a thing.

“Hi! Sorry if I’m late, the latest data showed some new patterns. I came as quickly as I could!” Mei-Ling clasps her hands in front of her in a nervous gesture; one Aleksandra is learning to associate with the scientist. She’s so cute! She shouldn’t be so nervous all the time.

“No worries friend. You are not late.” Aleksandra gives Mei-Ling a warm smile, both hands waving in a reassuring manner. Mei-Ling’s flinch at the word friend causes her to pause.

“I’m sorry…I’m not used to having very many friends.” That adorable face turns more shades of red. “I’m fine honest! Let’s go! If we hurry we can get the lunch special.” Mei-Ling clenches her hands into tight fists before unclenching them to rub her pet drone, her brown eyes unable to look Aleksandra in the eyes. That petting of the drone reminds Aleksandra of a owner petting a cat or a dog, for comfort.

“We are comrades, friends-in-arms. I’m sorry if I misspoke. You will need to recommend something on the menu. I do not eat a lot of Chinese dishes.” Aleksandra’s voice is soothing, and she changes the subject quickly to help end Mei-Ling’s distress. She knows from last’s night research that all of Mei-Ling’s coworkers, who were probably close friends, all perished at the Ecopoint. The thought of Mei-Ling being upset causes a stone to lump in her gut. She wants to see Mei-Ling smile with joy, to make sure she isn’t alone ever again.

“Well… Oh! Here’s our transport! Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving!” Mei-Ling jumps up and down in excitement as a large bus pulls up.

“Yes. Let’s get some lunch.” Aleksandra motions for Mei-Ling to hop onto the bus first.

They sit side by side, Mei-Ling closest to the window. The bus ride isn’t long, twenty minutes tops. All the while, Mei-Ling is chattering excitedly about her latest findings. A lot of the words go over Aleksandra’s head. She isn’t a scientist, a lot of the new information Mei-Ling is so excited about has no meaning for her. Thankfully, Mei-Ling is a delight to just listen to and a joy to watch. Her whole body lights up with joy as she talks about various findings. Brown eyes just gleam with fierce emotions as she talks about how some odd number in a dataset shows progress in pinning down the exact cause of the freak storms. Mei-Ling’s passion is contagious, and Aleksandra finds herself oddly excited about some numbers she doesn’t understand. 

Disappointment fills her when Mei-Ling stops talking to alert the bus driver to their destination. They shuffle off the bus together, and Mei-Ling leads the way. Aleksandra has never been to this section of the town before. If her memory serves her correctly, such an area is called a China Town. Foreign letters decorate most street signs, people are chattering in a tongue she doesn’t know. Without warning, Mei-Ling grabs her hand, and starts to lead her through the crowded streets. She’s glad that Mei-Ling’s back is to her, because her face is actually red! She hasn’t’ been this flustered by another woman since she left the world of professional weight lifting. The warmth of Mei-Ling’s hand is sending pleasant tingles up her arm.

“Here it is! You’ll love it, I promise!” Mei-Ling’s voice is light, and there’s a bounce in her step as she practically drags Aleksandra through a small entrance way. Aleksandra has to duck to avoid hitting her head.

Aleksandra notes that the décor is very nice, lots of decorate vases, calligraphy on the walls, and plenty of plants. Almost all of the lighting is indirect, giving the place a warm, friendly feel. The hostess recognizes Mei-Ling, and they start to converse in Chinese. An older lady comes out from behind some curtains in the back. Back hunched with age, she moves swiftly over to Mei-Ling, and pinches her cheeks as she says something that causes Mei-Ling to blush dark enough Aleksandra can see it in the dim lighting. Soon the lady drops her attention from Mei-Ling and looks directly at Aleksandra. Somehow she knows this old lady is judging her without saying anything. She knows that look, though she’s unable to determine if she passes the old lady’s test or not. The waiter takes them both to a small booth in the back. Aleksandra is not handed a menu, instead Mei-Ling chatters at the waiter, listing off various things that are hopefully related to food.

“I ordered for you. I hope you don’t mind…” Mei-Ling turns her attention from the waiter to Aleksandra. Both of her hands are back to being clenched tightly together, resting lightly on top of the table. There’s an earnest, hopeful look about Mei-Ling that warms Aleksandra to the core.

“I trust you. I should’ve warned you before you ordered, I need to eat a lot. I don’t expect you to pay for all the food I need.” Aleksandra has never felt awkward about her calorie needs; yet, she doesn’t want to be a burden to Mei-Ling. That feeling of not wanting to upset Mei-Ling is a new one, and Aleksandra bites the inside of her cheek. Knees locking, to help hold back the urge to fidget in her seat, Aleksandra looks at Mei-Ling, gauging her reaction. Hopefully her new friend won’t be upset at how much she has to eat.

“Oh! I know you need to eat a lot. You’re a professional weight lifter. Which is really amazing!” Mei-Ling’s voice is rushed, her eyes looking eager and pleased. Again, she bounces a little with joy. “Your body needs roughly 4,300 calories to do what you do best, according to the calculations I made based on your body mass, height, and daily routine. Studies show the best meal to eat the most calories at is lunch. I made sure that I ordered you food that best suits your needs.” Mei-Ling smiles widely, her hands unclenching into a more relaxed gesture. “I’m fine paying for your entire meal! It’s my treat. I have plenty of money, so it’s no big deal. Honest! Chen makes the best jiaozi. And this place makes the best gua boa I’ve found outside of China.”

“I…see.” Aleksandra is not certain what to make of Mei-Ling knowing her exact calorie needs. It is a relief not needing to explain that she needs to eat a lot, or trying to figure out the calories on the menu. Usually she has to plan out her meals very carefully. She’s not used to someone doing it for her. I hope I don’t need to adjust my dinner. Mei-Ling did know what I needed for calories, I’ll trust her this time.

As if reading her very thoughts, Mei-Ling reaches over, and places a hand over hers. “Trust me.” Then Aleksandra is exposed to the most heartwarming smile. Her insides melt into a gooey puddle at the sheer amount of emotion in that look.

“Very well, comrade.” The words slip out unnoticed, as Aleksandra finds her world narrowing down to just Mei-Ling, the warmth of her hand over hers, and that intense look on her face. Heart racing, Aleksandra gulps a little, trying to catch her breath as her world slows to a crawl.

“Do you like to play any video games?” Mei-Ling changes the subject, and it catches Aleksandra slightly off guard. “I’m sorry! I just wanted to get to know you better. I know a lot of athletes don’t like playing video games… but…”

“No, it is a good question. In my village, an Elder had some old gaming systems, various old school 3DS’s. He would share them with the kids in my village. To help us learn classical gaming culture.” Aleksandra smiles, fond memories of Yuri coming to mind. “Sometimes I would play them to help pass the time in winter before I started lifting. I enjoy the Fire Emblem games from the 2010 era. My favorites he had were Fire Emblem Awakening, and one of the Fates games…ah, what was it called? Revelations I believe. I have many fond memories of those games. They helped many winters pass more quickly. Father Winter is not forgiving to children who like the outdoors.” Aleksandra never gets to discuss her love of old Nintendo games. Most people just assume that, as an athlete, she hates video games. Not really surprising, considering all of her peers disliked them.

“My favorite character from Awakening is Lucina! I really love those games.” Mei-Ling’s face lights up at the mention of Fire Emblem. Aleksandra is surprised, but pleased that they share this. She was not expecting to have anything in common with Mei-Ling, much less a shared love of classic video games!

“Lucina is also my favorite character! I wish I could still play the games. They brought me much joy. Sadly, the systems are too expensive for me. There are more important things for me to spend money on. Who is your favorite character? Did you enjoy any of the Fire Emblem Fates games?” Aleksandra is curious to see what Mei-Ling thinks.

“Oh! I adored the Revelation path in Fates. I loved all the family members from Nohr. I couldn’t decide between Elise or Camilla as my absolute favorite character.” Mei-Ling smiles widely, and she rests her chin on her hands.

For the next half an hour they just chatter about classic nintendo games. They have a friendly debate about which is better Birthright or Conquest. Of course Revelations is the best of the three, but they couldn’t agree on the second best of the Fate paths. Personally, Aleksandra prefers Birthright, whereas Mei-Ling firmly believes that Conquest is second best. More than once, Mei-Ling puffs out her cheeks in annoyance, and makes a face at Aleksandra for defending Birthright. Before they can agree to disagree, lunch arrives. Many plates full of steaming hot food are places on the table. Mei-Ling babbles a reply in Chinese, and the waiter smiles, before giving them a bow. 

“Try this first.” Mei-Ling uses her chopsticks to point at a dish, before she starts to consume her food.

“Very well.” Aleksandra says a quick thanks, before she starts to eat. It is always wise to express gratitude to the Gods for meals. Something her mother taught her is that food is not a given. If you receive it, always give thanks. Not that Aleksandra believes in any Gods, but she gives thanks nonetheless. 

The meal is consumed in comfortable silence. Once or twice Mei-Ling speaks up, mostly to suggest a sauce. Aleksandra is very pleased with her meal. She can tell the food is well suited to her calorie needs. A huge perk is that it tastes delicious! After Aleksandra finishes eating, she notes an intense expression on Mei-Ling’s face. For the past several minutes she’s been focused solely on eating, and hadn’t realized that Mei-Ling had finished her food much sooner. 

“We need to go soon.” Mei-Ling sounds remorseful, but something else seems to be on her mind.

“Yes. There is still much to do back at the Watchpoint. Thank you for the meal Mei-Ling. We should do this again. Would you meet me for lunch tomorrow? I will pay for my own meal, of course.” Aleksandra finds herself asking before she realizes what she’s doing. She reasons that she hasn’t learned enough about Mei-Ling to get her the perfect gift yet.

“A-ah. I’m sorry! I can’t. I have an important meeting.” Mei-Ling gets a distressed look, and her small robot companion suddenly buzzes to life. Gently it pushes against her, making cheerful sounds. “I’m fine Snowball! Don’t worry.” One of her hands gently pats at the top of it, and Snowball settles down. 

“No worries if you can’t make it. Perhaps another time?” Aleksandra watches the small thing with great interest, watching it provide comfort to Mei-Ling.

“Another time would be wonderful! Um, if you like ice skating...there’s one open late. We can go after skating after we’re done working tomorrow.” Mei-Ling’s face blushes red, and she has the most hopeful look in her brown eyes.

“I look forward to it. My duties tend to finish at 20:00, are you free by then?” Aleksandra loves to ice skate. It was a mandatory lesson in grade school, all the children in her village learned to ice skate. Sadly, she’s been so busy trying to keep her people alive by fighting omnics that she hasn’t touched a pair of skates in over a decade.

“Yes I am! Meet you at the transport bay at 20:30?” Mei-Ling gives her the biggest, happiest smile while her hands clap together gleefully. Again, Aleksandra feels her heart melt, while butterflies fill her stomach. 

“It’s a date.” Aleksandra says the words, hopeful. Mei-Ling invokes emotions in her, that she hasn’t felt in a long time. 

“Alright. It’s a date.” Mei-Ling’s face doesn’t lose the blush, and she just beams joy radiating off her like a halo.

Aleksandra somehow refrains from holding Mei-Ling’s hand as they leave the restaurant, as her heartbeat seems irregular from how close Mei-Ling is. The ride back is filled with more chatter about Fire Emblem games, this time shifting focus the multitude of games that came after Fire Emblem Fates. Too soon for Aleksandra the bus arrived back at the transport bay, where she had to part ways with Mei-Ling. The remainder of her day she spent humming a happy tune, her thoughts full of tomorrow’s date. 

After selecting the outfit she will wear the next day, Aleksandra pulls back up the files on Mei-Ling. There is so much sorrow in them, how could Mei-Ling still be so cheerful after what happened in Antarctica? One of her fingers taps slowly on the table, as she looks at the data. Why didn’t Overwatch send help? The scientists sent out a distress signal. Her fingers fly across the keyboard, searching for records of the old transmissions. It looks like it was received, but the same day there was an explosion at the old headquarters in Zurich. It seems that in the confusion the distress call was misplaced, then forgotten. Now that Aleksandra is here, such an oversight will not happen again. No comrade of hers will ever be left behind! Her eyes glance to the clock - it’s late, well past her usual bedtime. With a soft sigh, she shuts down her personal comp, and goes to bed. Her dreams are full of Mei-Ling’s warm smile.

Aleksandra rolled out of bed the next morning before her alarm would go off. Although she’s never needed an alarm, she always sets one. Her mother taught her be prepared, because life does not go well for the unprepared. As her body limbers up during her morning routine, her thoughts constantly drift to Mei-Ling. It’s a pleasant distraction to her day, but Aleksandra shoves the thoughts to a mental back burner. She has a job to do, and her comrades depend on her. 

Still, no matter how hard she tries Aleksandra finds her thoughts straying to Mei-Ling in the few moments of down time she has during the day. It’s odd, Aleksandra hasn’t been this distracted by another person before. Not that it’s a bad thing, the thoughts bring her joy. She has enough discipline to get her job done to her best ability, but the moment she isn’t needed, her mind wanders off. That soft smile, the welcoming eyes, something about Mei-Ling’s hidden strength, they all remind Aleksandra of feelings similar to what she associates with home. When she’s around Mei-Ling, the world is brighter, more vibrant. She feels equal parts content and excited, wrapped in a sense of belonging. They’re all very nice emotions, but what does Mei-Ling think of her? 

Aleksandra got an idea of that question’s answer later that evening. Due to her efforts, she finished a bit earlier than she first anticipated. So she arrived at the meeting point early and waited. As she looked over the crowd gathering around the transport, she watched Mei-Ling navigate the area. Every single member of Overwatch she saw, she greeted by name, with a smile, and small wave of her hand. Yet, the moment those cute brown eyes locked with hers, Aleksandra felt her heart lurch in her chest at the sight. Mei-Ling locks eyes with her, and the largest grin crosses her face. Both hands wave at her, and she jumps up and down with joy, accidently knocking Jesse McCree onto his ass from the force of her sudden movement.

“Ah! Sorry, I’m so sorry Jesse…” Mei-Ling turns a deep pink, and Aleksandra can’t help but laugh as Jesse is nearly flung across the small waiting area by the force of Mei-Ling’s assistance. How did she ever think Mei-Ling was weak?

“Ah’m fine. Don’t worry about it Mei-Ling.” Jesse gives Mei-Ling a small smile, while one of his hands fishes for his hat, before placing it on his head.

Aleksandra feels a smile cross her face as Mei-Ling dances over to her, and they hug tightly. Mei-Ling is so soft and warm, and she smells like sugar cookies. Careful of her strength, Aleksandra hugs Mei-Ling. She finds her arms picking up Mei-Ling, and swinging her around in a circle, her body unable to contain the joyful feelings. Mei-Ling laughs with joy, her face flushed with pleasure. Laughter on her lips, she gently sets Mei-Ling down on the ground.

“Let’s go Aleksandra. I’ve been looking forward to this all day! I love ice skating.” Mei-Ling grabs her by the hand, and leads her towards the transport. Along the way, the other members of Overwatch smile at her with knowing faces. 

They walk, holding hands, onto the crowded transport. There are no two seat open next to each, just single ones left after the others have chosen their seats. Loathe to be parted from Mei-Ling, Aleksandra gives her hand a light squeeze before letting go. Before she can find a seat, Genji waves her down.

“Aleksandra! Mei-Ling! You can sit here! I can move so you can sit together!” Genji’s voice is light and teasing, and he makes finger guns at them. Without warning either of them, he jumps over the seats, landing next to Jesse. Genji then steals Jesse’s beloved hat, placing it on his head instead. That prompts Jesse to start bickering, no heat in his voice, with Genji. Their antics warm Aleksandra’s soul. It is good to see such strong friendship among her comrades! Hana Song, one of the youngest members, stands guard over the seats, motioning for them to sit down. Her eyes have a fierce look in them as she glares at some civilian employees that take a look at the open seats. 

Mei-Ling grabs her with a fierce grip, and they both walk over to the seats Hana is saving for them. Aleksandra nods her head in thanks to Hana, who moves out the way with a grace that implies the hidden strength in her young frame. Honestly, she doesn’t know a lot about her comrades. This adventure with her comrades is a learning experience. Mei-Ling choses the seat closest the window, still holding her hand. They sit in relative silence, as everyone around them chatters excitedly. Lucio, another young member, is very eager; he’s never been ice skating before. That seems so odd to her, ice skating is an integral part of her childhood! It will be good for him to learn such an important sport. She silently vows to not mock falls he makes, and offer her best advice if he needs it. They are comrades, it is her duty, and pleasure, to help them learn and grow. Instead of talking with Mei-Ling, she watches her date instead. Mei-Ling is completely silent, eyes closed with the most happy and serene look on her face. 

Reluctant to disturb Mei-Ling, Aleksandra holds in her curiosity. On a crowded bus full of loud sounds, serenity is the last expression she expected to see on Mei-Ling’s face. She can feel the slight pinch at the edges of her own face from the sheer volume of excited voices. Everyone but her and Mei-Ling is chatting rambunctiously. While her gaze rests on Mei-Ling with fond interest, her mind is listening in on various conversations. No one is talking about the latest attacks, or any missions. Instead, the focus is on Christmas, the Secret Santa gift exchange, and similar things. The rapid movement of hands distracts her eyes from Mei-Ling to Jesse and Genji. They are the closest to her, and are playing a fast paced, complex version of rock, paper scissors. Her mind places the odd gestures, the game they’re playing is rock, paper, scissors, lizard, spock. An athlete she once competed against tried to teach her the game, but at the time she had no interest. Genji is laughing so hard his entire body is shaking from the mirth. Jesse is more reserved, but also obviously having a fun time. 

Just ahead of Genji is his brother, Hanzo. Aleksandra only knows that Hanzo is a very serious man. However, the faint look of tenderness on his face as he watches his brother, and Jesse, over the top of his book is clear. Tracer is right next to Hanzo, and unabashedly reading his book over his shoulder. Hana and Lucio are behind her, and Aleksandra turns her head to watch them for a few seconds. Both of have some sort game device on both hands, something made by Nintendo. Shoulders hunched, they share identical looks of intense concentration while shouting friendly insults at each other. By their excited shouts about blue shells, she guesses they are playing some iteration of Mario Kart. 

A pang of painful emotion goes through her, as Aleksandra realizes how much she misses having access to a portable gaming system. So much of her childhood revolved around those winters playing on the antique 3DS systems. A lot of the bonding she did with kids her age was over the Fire Emblem games. Judging by the joyful expressions on her comrades faces, this sort of bonding is very much alive. Before she can become too lost in these thoughts, a warm hand touches her shoulder. Brought back to the present moment, Aleksandra turns to look at the hand touching her so tenderly. It turns out Mei-Ling is looking at her with an intent look on her face.

“Are you okay?” Mei-Ling’s voice is warm, and curious hints of concern are in her brown eyes.

“Yes. I was just reminiscing about gaming systems.” Aleksandra points over her shoulder with one thumb at the gleeful Hana and Lucio. “I miss having one. Sadly, I do not have the money to replace my favorite system. There are more important things to spend my money on, than old toys from my childhood that I do not need.”

“I see.” Mei-Ling’s face pinches up thoughtfully as some emotions surface in her eyes, before being buried deep.

“Do not worry about it Mei-Ling. Let’s focus on our date, yes? I have not gone ice skating in years. I am looking forward to doing this with you very much.” Aleksandra smiles at the flushed look that takes over Mei-Ling’s face at her words.

“Me too! At one of the EcoPoints I studied at, there was an ice skating ring someone made on the nearby ice sheet. That is where I learned how to skate. It has been years since I have been skating as well.” Mei-Ling has a thoughtful look on her face as memories long gone surface.

“Is it the same EcoPoint you were stranded at?” Aleksandra asks the question before she considers her words. Eyebrows furrow as she realizes her mistake.

“Oh no! That was in a different part of the world!” Mei-Ling has a surprised look on her face at the question. Before Aleksandra can open her mouth to apologize, Mei-Ling gives her a warm smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Honest. Sorry if I worried you. It seems like everyone at Overwatch knows about my tragic story, I shouldn’t be surprised you know it too.”

“You are so strong. Even though you faced such sadness, you keep on fighting. Mei-Ling you are so brave to continue studying what nearly killed you! You are very strong and courageous.” Aleksandra tries to reassure Mei-Ling with the best compliment she knows, and is dismayed at the look of real sorrow on her face. 

“I am not strong, or brave, or courageous. I’m always afraid. But, this world is worth fighting for. If I don’t study the climate changes who will in my place? How is that brave?” Mei-Ling turns her face away, and stares out the transport window, the remainder of the ride going by with not another word being said between them.

As the transport slowly comes to a halt, the voices slowly go down in volume. Roughly three seconds of peace and quiet fill the crowded transport. Then an avalanche of excited voices swell upwards, bodies leaving their seats in a rush to get off. Mei-Ling is calmly waiting for the transport to empty before leaving her seat, and Aleksandra stays seated beside her. There should be enough ice skates for everyone, there is no need to rush. Once the isle is clear, she gets off her seat before Mei-Ling can get up. One hand reaches out to Mei-Ling, and she gives her date a smile.

“Shall we?” Aleksandra feels something akin to butterflies in her stomach at the wide smile Mei-Ling graces her with, and sparks jolt down her fingertips as Mei-Ling takes hold of her hand. Hand in hand, they walk off the transport in comfortable silence. That weird floating robot follows close behind them. More than once, Mei-Ling smiles at the thing, giving it friendly pets on its head. Possible omnic threat or not, Mei-Ling is very attached to whatever that thing is. Aleksandra decides to ask more about it later, but for now, the silence is enjoyable between them. 

The staff running the ice skating rink are all smiles and bright eyes, quick to help as they get to interact with actual heroes. There are several ice skating rinks, but Aleksandra plans on using the outdoor one. Under the pale moonlight, ice gets a glow to it that always brings her such joy. More than one winter Aleksandra would skate for hours under the pale moonlight on a lake near her home. Sadly, her path to the outdoor rink is blocked by massive groups of people, milling around, chatting excitedly. More than once Aleksandra is asked for an autograph! Every time someone approaches her, hands holding a pen and something of personal value, she gives them a welcoming smile. She motions with a single hand in a friendly way, signing everything put in front of her. A few people asked her to sign a piece of bare skin, which she always did after voicing the condition that the skin be someplace modest. Hana and Lúcio are also surrounded by eager fans, and in larger numbers then the ones lined up for her. They’re more flashy about signing autographs, often volunteering to pose for selfies. By the time she’s freed from the fans, thankfully before closing time, Mei-Ling is ready to skate. In her hands is an extra pair of ice skates.

“I asked Athena for your shoe size. The ice rink didn’t have your size in womens skates, so I got you a pair of men’s. I hope they fit!” Mei-Ling’s face is flushed with embarrassment, and the skates are shoved in her direction. Aleksandra takes them with a smile, and a nod of thanks. 

Even though is has been years since she last put on a pair of skates, they pose her no difficulty. There is a saying she’s heard before about bicycles, and never really forgetting how to ride. Perhaps it would apply in this instance; it’s hard to tell at times. English sayings don’t always make sense to her. Before long she is on the ice, skating around the rink. Mei-Ling is right next to her. Shyly, Mei-Ling reaches out, silently asking to hold hands. Without a moment’s hesitation, Aleksandra takes her hand, holding it close. Warmth flows through her gloves, and butterflies dance in her stomach. That small robot thing that follows Mei-Ling everywhere beeps loudly, and bumps against her shoulder. Aleksandra stares at it, lips thinning into a hard line, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as it bumps against her shoulder again. 

“Snowball wants to know if you’re warm enough.” Mei-Ling’s voice interrupts her fierce glare at the small robot.

“Tell it I’m fine.” Aleksandra refuses to acknowledge the thing, which beeps with a morse noise before floating closer to Mei-Ling.

“There’s no need to be rude to Snowball! He’s my best friend!” Mei-Ling’s voice is sharp, a fierce look in those brown eyes.

“I...am not accustomed to omnics.” Aleksandra is not certain how to explain her extreme dislike of anything like an omnic.

“He’s not an omnic! Omnics are fully functional, sentient, self aware beings with an intelligence rating of at least eight on Keir’s scale of robotic sentience! Snowball is merely a highly evolved A.I.” Mei-Ling’s lightning fast reply is well practiced, Aleksandra can tell. Remorse at her actions towards...Snowball? Grow in her gut at how pitiful the thing looks, as it floats low to the ground avoiding her.

“Why do you have him? I’ve never seen you without him.” Aleksandra holds out her free hand towards Snowball, palm flat and facing up. Snowball lands on her hand, and vibrates a bit, seemingly pleased with her actions. 

“After the disaster at EcoPoint Antarctica I wanted a helper that wasn’t slowed down by the weather. His primary function is to provide rescue services in dire weather situations. But he’s more than that! He’s my best friend.” Mei-Ling’s voice grows softer with each sentence. Snowball leaves Aleksandra to chirp cheerfully at the morose Mei-Ling. The emotions in Mei-Ling’s eyes are sorrowful, and Aleksandra wants nothing more then to see that smile return. 

“That is wise of you. It is always best to take precautions against Father Winter.” Aleksandra searches for happy things to talk about, her mind blanking for the first several moments. “Who is your favorite couple in Fire Emblem Awakening?” Is what she blurts out, frantic to bring back that warm smile. Any topic but the current one will work!

“Oh! I adore Chrom and Robin! Their lines are very fun! Lon’Qu and Olivia are so cute together. I never did believe in making pairings just to have the best possible kids. What about you?” Mei-Ling breaks into that smile, her whole body becoming more animated.

“I always paired Robin with Henry if I could. Once, she ended up with Vaike. I enjoyed Nowi and Gregor as a couple as well. It always made me too sad to not pair Sumia with Chrom. Poor Sumia was always pinning about Chrom.” Aleksandra grows more animeated as she talks about her favorite video game.

Everything around them is outlined in silver, thanks to the moonlight shining down from above. Mei-Ling is graceful as she skates, and Aleksandra wishes that this moment would last forever. Sadly, a voice chimes out over the ice from speakers perched on the nearby building, announcing that they have fifteen minutes until closing time. People start heading towards the exit, most of them moving slowly. Aleksandra breaks her gaze from Mei-Ling’s adorable eyes to check a large clock. It surprises her that they have been ice skating for nearly four hours now! Surely it hasn’t been that long? Before she can exit the ice, Mei-Ling releases her hand and skates ahead with a burst of speed. Quickly hopping up on the higher ground, Mei-Ling swivels around to face her. Before Aleksandra can ask what’s going on, Mei-Ling stands on her tiptoes, body leaning precariously forward. Instinctively reaching out to steady Mei-Ling, Aleksandra is surprised, and pleased when Mei-Ling plants a soft kiss on her lips. A hot blush crosses her face at the kiss, which she returns. 

“Thank you Aleksandra!” Mei-Ling beams, a grin so wide it goes ear to ear. For the first time, Mei-Ling pronounces her name correctly, causing a shiver of pleasure to run down her spine. As quickly as she got off the ice, she spins around to give Aleksandra room. In her haste, Mei-Ling bumps into McCree, knocking him to the ground. A loud bark of laughter escapes Aleksandra at the sight of McCree scooting away from Mei-Ling’s helping hand.

“Ah’m fine miss Mei-Ling. Yer mighty strong, I like my arm attached! You don’t need to help me up! Thanks fer the offer!” McCree is receiving aid from Genji, who is laughing loudly at his friend’s antics to avoid Mei-Ling’s help. 

As the sound of Mei-Ling’s string of apologies to McCree fill her ears, Aleksandra decides on the perfect gift for Mei-Ling. She’ll need help with the present, perhaps she’ll pay Winston a visit. Soon she is shedding her ice skates, and handing them back to the staff. Freed from the skates, she looks over to Mei-Ling who is also done turning in her skates. She reaches out and takes hold of one of Mei-Ling’s hands. The grin that comes her way makes her heart fill with those pesky butterflies. They walk side by side, hand in hand, to the transport. 

As the days grow closer to Christmas, Aleksandra takes time out of her day to visit Mei-Ling in her lab. Often they talk about about Fire Emblem games, but not always. Another topic discussed is the weather changes. Mei-Ling will listen with an intense look, often taking notes on the changes Aleksandra remembers and the weather oddities she’s witnessed in Russia. Mei-Ling loves the cold weather, but she worries that the extreme changes will shift further south in latitude putting people at risk. Her drive to protect people, and save the planet, is impressive. No matter what challenges she comes across, Mei-Ling refuses to give in to fear. Aleksandra finds herself growing more in love with Mei-Ling every time she interacts with the small scientist. 

At Mei-Ling’s suggestion, she finally asked for Athena’s assistance with numerous aspects of her routine at the Watchpoint. After a bit research, kindly provided by Mei-Ling, Aleksandra determined that Athena is not an omnic, and can be trusted. Between Aleksandra’s assigned missions, various tasks she does to stay strong, the more impressed she becomes with Athena. It stunned her at how human Athena is, even though she’s an A.I. Perhaps the things she had been taught as a child are false? Her homeland is known to be very biased against omnics, but she’d never thought much of it. Certainly something to look into! Mei-Ling knows a lot, she’ll be sure to ask for reading materials on omnics, A.I.s, and assorted sentient machines. Comm vibrating loudly, Aleksandra stops her line of thought. Thumb swiping across the screen, it shows her the message she’s been looking for all week. Winston had completed her gift! Thankfully he loved her gift idea, and went to work on it right away. Normally such a customized gift would take a company over a month to make. Luckily for her, Winston thought the idea to be excellent, and dove into the project with pleasure. She’ll pick up the gift from Winston tonight, and have it ready to go in time for tomorrow’s party.

At the party itself, room full of cheerful decorations, Aleksandra started to wonder who had been assigned as her Secret Santa. Ever since the Secert Santa had been assigned, she’d spoken with every member of Overwatch at some point. Mostly it was polite chit chat, nothing serious. However, her gift didn’t matter, the important thing is whether Mei-Ling likes her gift or not. Her gaze sweeps across the room, watching people exchange gifts. Once she gets her gift, Aleksandra plans on finding Mei-Ling. She wants to give her the gift someplace private, so she can sneak in a kiss.

“A-ah! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Mei-Ling rushes over to her, dressed in the most adorable santa outfit. 

“Mei-Ling it is good to see you. I…” Before Aleksandra finishes her sentence, Mei-Ling shoves a neatly wrapped package at her.

“This is for you! You’re my Secret Santa...I hope you like it....I’m sorry if you don’t…” Mei-Ling shuffles her feet, and looks downward as if afraid of her reaction. 

“This makes things easier. You are mine as well. For you.” Aleksandra gently places her much smaller wrapped package into one of Mei-Ling’s hands. 

Then she unwraps her gift, knowing full well Mei-Ling won’t unwrap anything until Aleksandra has opened her own gift. The package is light, roughly the size and shape of book. Perhaps it’s a book on omnics? She and Mei-Ling have talked a lot recently about omnics in great detail. Carefully she peels tape off shiny silver and blue tissue paper, tucking an ornate bow to the side as she works past the wrapping. Under the tissue paper is a plain box, and inside that is a 3DS. Eyes widen in shock, it’s the same color and model as the one she played with as kid! Also inside the box is a charger.

“T-there are all the Fire Emblem games downloaded onto it, up to the release in 2024… including all the DLC. I hope you like it…” Mei-Ling says, hands fidgeting, her own untouched gift still wrapped.

“Thank you! I love it!” Aleksandra smiles, and pulls Mei-Ling into a tight hug. “Thank you. I am truly pleased with it. You should open yours.”

With surprising speed and grace, Mei-Ling removes all the wrapping without damaging any of it. Then, she neatly folds the wrapping paper into neat squares before opening the box. Her mouth forms a small “o” shape, and her eyes grow wide at the sight. Nestled on a sturdy, yet fancy, box-chain necklace is an ornate silver snowflake. Accents of purple and blue decorate the snowflake, and it gleams under the lighting.

“It’s beautiful!” Mei-Ling holds it, admiring the designs etched onto the snowflake, turning it about to look at the all patterns.

“It’s practical. Winston helped me with it. Inside is a self contained, pulse powered, full range transmitter. If you ever get stranded, just press the Snowflake like so…” Aleksandra makes a motion with her index finger and thumb. “And it’ll activate an S.O.S. that Athena, as well as my own personal comm, will pick up. Now you can study extreme weather anywhere in the world without fear. If anything happens, I promise I will come for you. Do what you love without fear, because I will help you stay strong no matter what.”

“Thank you! This is the best gift ever. Now I feel bad because I gave you such a trivial gift...” Mei-Ling starts to cry, and she clutches the pendant close to her chest.

Aleksandra kisses away every single tear, and murmurs reassurances into Mei-Ling’s ears. Before she can say something, she becomes aware of two people standing right behind her. With a look over her shoulder, she spots Hana precariously perched on top of Lucio’s shoulders holding something above her head. A quick glance up confirms her growing suspicion, they’re holding up mistletoe. 

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The two of the chant together, Hana waving the mistletoe with great enthusiasm. 

“Very well…” Aleksandra says with roll of her eyes, before leaning down to kiss Mei-Ling while the room erupts into cheers. 

Mei-Ling kisses her back with surprising passion, and her hands wrap around her neck. Heat crosses her face as the kiss continues, but she loves how soft Mei-Ling feels on her lips. As they part, both panting a bit, they look around. Everyone is grinning widely, before looking away.

“Merry Christmas Mei-Ling.” Aleksandra whispers, resting her forehead against Mei-Ling’s soft hair.

“Merry Christmas Aleksandra. Will you be my girlfriend? I’ve grown to really love talking with you. I want to keep learning about you.” Mei-Ling blushes again, even her ears turn a shade of pink.

“Yes I will. I want to be with you as long as you’ll have me. Together, we shall be strong. Nothing will stop us from making the world a better place. As you say, this world deserves to be protected. I want to help you protect it.” Aleksandra grins, and leans in for another kiss.

“That sounds delightful! This is the best Christmas ever.” Mei-ling returns the kiss, before backing up a bit. As she does this, she bumps into Jesse McCree, who falls hard on his ass, beer cup flying upwards dumping beer all down his ugly sweater.

“Ah! I’m so sorry Jesse! Let me help you…” Mei-Ling starts to offer aide, while Jesse is already sweating nervously, and his gaze looks over at Genji, before turning back to stare at Mei-Ling’s hand.

“O-okay…” Jesse nervously holds out his hand, and is quickly helped to his feet, but for once not thrown across the room. He actually looks disappointed at the help. Behind him, Genji is snickering, and holds out a hand, palm up, fingers motioning in a familiar motion. “Shucks. Ah had a bet with Genji on this. He didn’t believe me you could throw my hide across the room like Ah weight nothin’.”

“O-oh! Sorry! I can save you the money! Watch this Genji!” Mei-Ling smiles, and with an effortlessly looking yank of her arm, tosses Jesse across the room. He lands on the couch with a yelp of dismay. Genji lets out a loud, impressed whistle.

“That was a nice use of aikido, Mei-Ling.” Genji gives her a deep bow, before heading towards a very disheveled looking Jesse.

“Can you teach me that?” Aleksandra asks, curious how such force can be used with with such little effort.

“Glady!” Mei-Ling smiles, and there is a twinkle in her eyes that brings a warm glow to her heart. Before Aleksandra can ask another question, Mei-Ling leans up, and gives her another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> A huge shout out to my beta! DNScott makes my words so much better!!


End file.
